The present invention relates to the food service industry and more particularly to the individual food handlers or servers who prepare what are known as xe2x80x9cgo boxes.xe2x80x9d In greater particularity the present invention relates to a tool for use by such individuals in the performance of the preparation of go boxes when food is introduced into the box.
In common practice, millions of meals are served daily in expanded foam containers known as xe2x80x9cgo boxes.xe2x80x9d Typically, the foodstuff is placed in the box by a food handler employed by the establishment selling the food. While regulations in some instances require the use of gloves and hairnets, these regulations are not always followed or enforced. Accordingly, the handling of the food and the go box may lead to food-borne illness. In 1990, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported an estimate of 40 to 80 million cases of food borne illness. Inasmuch as such illnesses are generally caused by bacteria, yeast, molds, viruses, and parasites which originate from soil, processing, transportation or food handling, the exact percentage of the illnesses which are directly related to food handling is not readily quantifiable.
Although not readily quantifiable, certain factors relating to food handling indicate significant risk to consumer, to wit: Up to 50 percent of the food handlers employed at any one time are carriers of disease agents which may be transmitted to consumers by improper handling of foodstuffs. For example: Salmonella may remain in a person""s system for months after recovery; hepatitis A has been found in the intestinal tract up to five years after the disappearance of disease symptoms; staphylococci are found in boils, pimples, cuts, bums, eyes and nose. Contaminated hands transmit bacteria and viruses from the body to food, thus a food handler""s hands are one of the most important factors in preventing the transmission of disease organisms in a food establishment.
Currently, food handlers preparing go boxes grasp the box as they ladle or spoon the food into the box. Often times the fingers of the food handler will overlap the sides of the box into the area or wells wherein the food is being place. If the food is hot the worker can be burned, but more importantly, the worker""s fingers or glove may come in contact with the food being placed in the container. It is to be understood that the go boxes are made of light weight foam and are inherently flexible; thus, it is difficult to handle the box without grasping the edges. Accordingly, it is difficult to ensure that food workers do not physically touch the foods.
It will be appreciated that the forgoing concerns indicate a need for an improvement in the manner in which foodstuffs are placed in go boxes and the like. The present invention provides for a reusable implement which will allow the food service person to hold the go box securely without actually touching any inner surface of the box, thereby avoiding contamination of the food by the worker as well as reducing the opportunity for burns and spills due to the flexibility of the go box.
The invention utilizes a web designed to cooperate with the go box and connected to a handle such that the food service worker may grasp the handle with the go box lid open and safely ladle food into the box. The handle is angled to permit the box to overlie the handle and hand, thereby ensuring no contact with the internal surfaces of the box
The present invention is a device for use with disposable food boxes having a plurality of wells formed therein and a cover flexibly attached along a margin for selective closure of the plurality of wells, comprising a handle suitable for gripping by a food service worker; and a web integrally formed on the handle including interconnected spaced-apart members defining openings commensurate with the shape of the wells such that a food box may rest on the web with the wells extending into the openings. The handle may include a first portion extending from the web and a second portion offset vertically beneath the first portion, and a continuous transition between the first and second portion. The interconnected spaced-apart members of the present invention may each have downwardly and inwardly sloping surfaces defining the openings. The handle and the web may be molded from a rigid plastic and the handle may extend outwardly from the web a height below the plane of the web.
The present invention may also be described as a device for use with disposable food boxes having a plurality of wells formed therein, comprising a handle, molded from a rigid plastic, suitable for gripping by a food service worker; and a web integrally formed at an end of the handle, also molded from a rigid plastic, including interconnected spaced apart members defining openings commensurate with the shape of the wells wherein the interconnected spaced-apart members each have downwardly and inwardly sloping surfaces defining the opening such that a food box may rest on the web with the wells extending into the openings, and wherein the handle includes a first portion extending from the web and a second portion offset vertically beneath the first portion, the handle including a continuous transition between the first and second portion.
The present invention may further be described as a tool for use by food service workers handling boxes having wells formed therein for serving food, comprising a web of rigid material including a plurality of spaced-apart members defining a plurality of openings corresponding to the wells in a box such that the wells may fit within the web openings; and a handle integrally formed with the web and extending outwardly therefrom at an elevation beneath the plane of the web.